Gov. Easley’s office reported yesterday that 2006 brought North Carolina the biggest increase in tourism revenue since 1990.

More than 45 million visitors spent more than $15 billion dollars during their visits to the state last year. That’s an increase of 8.3 percent over 2005; the largest single-year increase in tourism dollars since 1990. Much of that growth can be attributed to growth in year-round visitation to the high country.